Posted by Mary Roberts Featured News, Health Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
Drug Abuse,Depression Symptoms,Anxiety Symptoms,Mental Disorders More Likely for Pregnant Veterans
A new study found that female veterans who become pregnant may be at more risk of developing mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety.
For this study, researchers looked at data on 43,078 female veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq and received health care at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) over five years. 32 percent of study participants who were pregnant already had a mental health diagnosis, while 21 percent of women who were not pregnant received a mental health diagnosis. When all female veterans taking part in VHA healthcare were compared to those who were pregnant, pregnant veterans were more apt to be diagnosed with either major depression or mild depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, alcohol, drug abuse or dependence during the study.
Pregnant veterans had twice the rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety compared to their non-pregnant peers. According to the study authors, female veterans with mental health disorders may be more inclined to ask for treatment at the Veterans Health Administration than women without those disorders, and could also have had their pregnancy noted by being cared for.
Women who use VHA healthcare but do not need mental health help may have received prenatal care elsewhere and not reported their pregnancies to the Veterans Health Administration. moreover, other studies have found that veterans may be more likely to pose risky behavior after returning home from war, while women who have depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms or other mental disorders may be more likely to get pregnant.
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